New to hunting & pest control – or a seasoned veteran?
This guide helps explain Spotlight and Thermal setup options.
We are more than happy to help if you'd like to give us a call or send an email!
1300 228 051
Pairing Thermals & Spotlights
There’s a reason this setup is extremely popular.
Thermal spots the heat in total darkness:
-no light
- no noise
-straight through bush, grass, or fog
You see the animal glowing hot from your vehicle before they even know you're there.
With the animal located, you are able to shine the spotlight directly on the target.
Now you have:
- a clear view to identify the animal
- the ability to take the shot if needed
- illumination onto the area for collecting the animal.
Using both gives you advanced detection in the dark,
and illumination only when you're ready to confirm and act.
All together, this helps:
1. Protect Stock
2. Control more pests, faster
3. Make night work safer
In the following example, we are using the following gear:
Hikmicro FQ35
Powa Beam 7" QH Spotlight
Remote folding handle
& connected tablet.
What type of Spotlight should you use?
Powa Beam Spotlights come either bracketed or handheld, in 7", 9" and 11", with some select 5.75" variants.
The major point of difference in spotlights is the choice of QH (Quartz Halogen) vs HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights.
QH comes in 12v 100w or 24v 250w, with the latter comparable to HID in performance.
We recommend customers consider the following:
1. Handheld, roof mount, window mount, quad bike or ATV
2. Thermal use - plans on how to mount the thermal
3. Distance and terrain for the light to perform in
3. Battery setup
4. Spotlight size *this is often determined by the mounting method
5. Use of red lens if necessary *determined by animal behaviour with white or yellow light, e.g. skittish foxes
6. Which light type (see below)
QH 100w:
1. Warmer, yellow light
2. Instantaneous
3. Most affordable option.
QH 250w:
1. Retains QH characteristics (instantaneous, warmer yellow light)
2. Most powerful light in terms of range & spot size.
3. Premium pricing
4. Comes with 24v-12v converter, allowing use from 12v battery
5. Draws more power from battery
HID:
1. Best quality bright, white light
2. Tighter spot and long range.
3. Premium pricing
4. Light requires short 'warmup' time for the light to reach its full potential
5. Draws less power from battery (12v 55-70w) than comparable QH 250w.
Our customers needs vary wildly so feel free to get in touch!
Why use a thermal?
Thermal Optics detect heat signatures — animals, people, machinery — even through fog, bush, or pitch black.
Anything with a temperature difference becomes visible, from animals to equipment.
Key Benefits:
- Detect heat at long distances & through bush, grass, scrubland
- Spot movement instantly
- No need for ambient light
What Thermal is best for me?
There is a wide variety of Thermal Monoculars available on the market. The key considerations are as follows:
1. Budget
2. Level of clarity needed to correctly detect and then identify the target
3. Range (are you in close country or long, flat paddocks?)
4. Battery duration
5. Field of view
6. Laser Range Finder
Below we have listed some of our most popular Thermal Monoculars from Guide Sensmart & HikMicro.
Which Mounting option should I use?
The most popular setups, listed in order, are as follows:
1. Roof Mounted
2. Window Mounted
3. Roof Rack Mounted
4. Smartrest Light Mount
5. Smartrest Roof Rack
The Powa Beam Thermal Mount is the recommended and best quality mount for use with Powa Beam spotlights, however Smartrest provide excellent alternatives for different budgets and layouts.
As these are highly variable based on your vehicle, we recommend getting in touch for any recommendations on how best to plan for these setups.
